America's Foremost Business Fraternity

Make a Difference Day, October 27

October 12, 2012

October 27 marks the 20th annual “Make a Difference Day,” the perfect day to set aside for volunteering and improving the lives of the less fortunate and the community as a whole. What started off as a simple idea in a 1992 issue of the USA Today’s Weekend magazine has since spread to become the largest community service project in the nation. People from all walks of life come together, year after year, to make a difference in their communities. From corporate heads, politicians, charitable organizations, celebrities, and everyday people, 3 million people a year use this opportunity to give back. Now, MDDay is always held the fourth Saturday in October.

In 2009, Delta Sigma Pi was honored as a National Make A Difference Day winner. The Fraternity was recognized, in part, for its increased and diverse participation around the country. Delta Sigma Pi and nine other honorees were spotlighted in USA Weekend and each received a $10,000 donation from Newman’s Own for the charity of their choice. The national Fraternity decided to divide the donation so that each provincially-selected charity received $2,000:

Northeastern—Habitat for Humanity

South Central—Ronald McDonald House

Southern—Verizon Hope Line

Western—S t. Jude

North Central—American Cancer Society

In 2011, Delta Sigma Pi was selected to be in the running for the All-Star award where we went head-to-head with nine other large participants in MDDay in an online voting contest lasting 15 days to win $10,000. Delta Sigma Pi came in a very close second (less than 1,000 votes).

Be sure to register your MADDay event with National Community Service Chair Kris McDaniel. Also, send news of your participation and photos to magazine@dspnet.org for inclusion in the March DELTASIG.

In the past, Deltasigs have completed a wide-range of activities, from serving meals at homeless shelters and building houses for Habitat to Humanity to spending time at a nursing home and cleaning up a stretch of highway. The possibilities are endless, so how are you participating in MDDay this year?